I refer to the letter from Mr Alfred Pulè entitled ‘Privacy will not be prejudiced’ (TMIS, 26 June) regarding the monstrous application for three, five-storey blocks of flats in a quiet Lija street, presently characterised by uniform two-storey dwellings on one side, and villas/bungalows on the other.
It is a shame and inexcusable that Mr Pulè claims that affected resident Capt. Zammit “lives elsewhere in Lija”, when he is his very own next-door neighbour. Any further comment on this is therefore superfluous.
As the owner of the plot for which the application was made, Mr Pulè stands to make a pretty penny from this development of 27 flats (many of which are of poor quality with as façade of just over three metres), thus it is no surprise that he is the only resident in the whole neighbourhood not totally opposed to the ruining of the area.
'Far from nobody’s “privacy will not be prejudiced” as stated by Mr Pule`. The proposed 3 blocks of 27 flats, 5 storeys high, would stick out like a sore thumb, and be totally out of place in the heart of our characteristic village, irreversibly negatively deforming population densities and skylines.'
Lija Local Council is absolutely against this application as it will forever negatively change the very fabric and characteristics of the neighbourhood. Moreover, it will be a precedent others will copy.
Last November, the Planning Authority issued a new development policy – over 200 pages long. Certain developers are conveniently making full use of the juicy bits, while totally ignoring the other 199 pages of quality policy and guidelines.
Since this misinterpretation of policies can be applied to each and every village in Malta and Gozo – turning rows of our terraced village houses into blocks of flats five or even six storeys high, we are opposing this to protect adverse exponential village density increases.
A petition is being organised and citizens can sign it by joining the Facebook Group Save our villages from over development.
I strongly recommend that your readers sign this petition due to the severe repercussions that will affect all Malta and Gozo, should the Planning Authority approve this project.
Magda Magri Naudi
Lija Mayor